I have just been posting about pping so you know I am no expert. I have made two previously and because I was nervous about the process I purposely made the block over sized so that I could trim it down to the correct size. Is that possible to do with this block?

Are you sewing the blocks together with the paper still on? I find that I can't sew the blocks together with the paper on--never works for me. I know others swear by it but it just throws my seams off unless I remove the paper to put them together.

Looks beautiful to me. I don't see a problem with the points.

you know ... the solution might have been that easy!! Yes, I was using the seam line on the PP to join the two units together. I wonder if I had just removed the paper and used my scant 1/4" seam if that would have worked?

Nailed it!

Here's what I did. I started by making my paper just a smidge larger than the actual size. After sewing the PP section, I trimmed ONLY the edge with the point that would meet with the checkerboard. I left the paper intact and sewed the PP piece to the checkerboard piece. I then measured that finished piece and trimmed the whole block to 6.5" square. Then I removed the paper. The rest of the block I pieced with a scant 1/4".

The size is perfect, the points in the middle are close enough that I wouldn't bother to correct them.

Thanks all ... you helped me work this through in my brain. I'm now convinced that when you marry a PP block to block that has been sewn with scant seams, you could have a problem.

i always continue the seams out into the seam allowance too. seems to help points. the center seam can be pressed flat. since it's a pinwheel, you should press the seams going around in a circle. it should help the center matching seams too.

Good luck. I see a beautiful block. Sometimes something like this would bother me so I'd change it and then when I'm in one of those "oh, well" moods, I'd leave it. When you stand back it won't be noticed as easily as when up close.

I understand your need to make this block as perfectly as you possibly can since you are sending it off to someone else. If I were the recipient, I would really appreciate the fact that you kept working at it until you got it as close to perfect as possible. I've been in exchanges like this where some of the blocks I received were an inch smaller then the pattern required, so your attention to detail is highly commendable!!! And now you know the secret of the marriage of PP and pieced portions of a block!!!

Ditto what Farm Quilter said - I admire and appreciate your attention to detail! I've never sent a block off to anyone but I would probably have to make that block 5 times to get it to come out correct! Good job and thanks for sharing the issues and the solution.

Your block is beautiful! You mentioned that you measure the seam to see if it is 1/4 inch. Instead try measuring the block rather than the seam. It is the block you want to be the 'perfect' size.